Linebacker Jordan Magee is among the players that have caught the eye of head coach Dan Quinn during the Washington Commanders' 2025 season.
With the Washington Commanders working through injuries in an attempt to fill key spots with the quarterback room taking another hit, signing Jeff Driskel on Monday after watching Marcus Mariota go down on Saturday, the last two games will give several players a chance to ‘audition’ for 2026.
But while some will look to impress for the first time, others will look to continue their momentum. For head coach Dan Quinn, watching a handful of young players step up through a disappointing 2025 season has given the Commanders optimism for the future at a handful of spots.
“[Linebacker] Jordan Magee, you've heard me talk about him quite a bit. He's definitely somebody that just has my attention, the intensity that he plays with, the intensity that he brings. The running backs with Bill [Croskey-Merritt] and Chris [Rodriguez]. I know Chris isn't a rookie and but just doesn't have three years of experience in-game. So those are two at that spot. [Josh] Conerly, obviously. So yeah, there's definitely players, but Jordan was the first one that popped out in my mind. Ben Sinnott [is] another. The running backs. So Trey Burks, although he's not a younger player, he's new to us, but not younger. And so those are a few that each week, I'm just excited to see where they're headed.”
Rodriguez’s role in the rotation has been clear after leading the team in rushing in five games this season, including three of the last five, as he enters the final two games with clear value on an expiring contract, but will the Commanders bring back the former sixth-round pick? Sinnott’s presence loomed larger over the final month of the regular season after Zach Ertz’s season-ending injury suffered vs. Arizona a chance for the young tight end, along with John Bates, looking to break out and establish consistency at a position becoming a growing need beyond 2025 with long-term uncertainty.
While Conerly has allowed a team-high seven sacks and no other player allowing more than three so far in 2025, Burks may be the most intriguing of them all with seven catches for 107 yards and one touchdown over the last six games. With both Deebo Samuel and Noah Brown entering the offseason on expiring contracts and an edge rusher becoming the growingly apparent need with the Commanders’ upcoming first round pick, Burks has been able to inconsistently flash as a WR3 option in 2026.
While Washington enters the offseason with more questions than answers, the final two games will give several of those fringe pieces along the roster a chance to capitalize on expanded roles with pride left to play for.
“The first part is, just like the function and the continuity offensively, how can we play at our best? Because it's a little bit of both sides. If you can play at your best, it's also going to allow other people to do their thing, and so it won't read exactly the same off the call sheet if Marcus isn't available as it would be with Josh. But that doesn't mean there's not important people to feature and how to get the ball to. So I think you're right on both ends that that's definitely a part of it, to make sure that some of the play makers are finding their spots to get involved without forcing an error or making a bad decision. So it's a great point that you bring up, and we're just going to try to find the balance to perform well cleanly. And if we can do that right, I think the second part is able to happen.”